Second firearm confiscated at South Fort Myers High this year; student arrested, officials say
In less than three months, deputies have arrested a second student at a Lee County high school on charges of bringing a weapon to school.
"In the spirit of open communication, I want to let you know a student was arrested today for having a gun on campus," Ed Mathews, principal at South Fort Myers High School, wrote in an email to parents Thursday.
Mathews said they discovered the gun during a standard administrative search. Students weren't threatened.
Middle schooler arrested: Lehigh Acres Middle School student started fight using BB gun, sheriff says
Gun threat: South Fort Myers High given all clear following gun threat, all 67 Lee Schools searched
Incidents on the rise: 'Students should never have to worry about their safety': Weapons found in schools on rise
Besides the legal consequences, the student will face code of conduct disciplinary action, Mathews wrote.
It's the second such incident made public at the school this semester.
School and detectives did not identify the student or provide any details.
On Aug. 11, a student approached a staff member at the school and mentioned seeing an Instagram video depicting a fellow student flashing a firearm.
School administrators, along with Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies, conducted an administrative search of the student's car in the parking lot.
During the search, they located a loaded 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat.
Administrators immediately notified the School Resource Officer. The weapon was secured and detectives from the Youth Services Division responded to assume that investigation.
'Increase in incidents': Lee Schools superintendent sends messages to parents after 2nd weapon found on campus
This is, at least, the third documented firearm incident at Lee County schools since August.
Lee County schools saw a 30% jump in weapons possession on school grounds during the 2020-21 school year compared to 2019-20.
Cassandra Palelis, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education, responded in August to an emailed request and said the finalized numbers for the 2021-22 school year will be published in November. The data hasn't been released yet, records show.
The state department of education didn't return a call for comment Friday before publication.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: South Fort Myers student arrested after weapon found on campus
